Flour improving method and composition



Patented July 20, 1937 PATENT OFFICE FLOUR IMPROVING METHOD ANDCOllIPOSITION Frederick H. Penn, Dallas, Tex.

No Drawing. Application January 13, 1936, Serial No. 58,983

10 Claims.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my earlier application,Serial #684,605, filed August 10, 1933.

My invention relates to the treatment of milling products and moreparticularly has reference to a'process and composition for bleachingand improving the color, baking and keeping qualities of Wheat flour andother grain flours, vegetable flour and milling products generally.

Of the several gaseous flour bleaching and maturing agents, nitrosylchloride is one of the most effective. However, nitrosyl chloride gas istroublesome and somewhat dangerous to handle; it is not transportableand therefore must be made at the mill; and its use requires specialequipment and attention.

It is an object of my invention to provide a process for treating flourand other milling products to improve the color, baking and keepingqualities, in an efllcient and safe manner, the process beingcharacterized by freedom from the difiiculties and inconveniencesheretofore encountered in the use of nitrosyl chloride gas and otherfiour improving gases.

A furtherobject of the invention resides in the provision of aconvenient and easily handled composition for subjecting millingproducts to a bleaching, aging or maturing and improving action.

I have discovered that a gaseous flour-improving agent can be generatedin situ within the flour from certain compounds admixed in finelypowdered form with the dry milling product, the reaction between thepowdered reagents apparently being initiated'by the normal moisturecontent of the flour. The gas thus developed in situ possesses bothbleaching and aging properties and it is therefore possible to bleachand mature the flour by the simple procedure of mixing the powderedcompounds with the dry milling product and allowing suflicient time fortheir reaction and the flour improvement to take place. This simpleprocess constitutes a decided advantage over the present practice ofbleaching and aging by treatment in separate stages with a gaseousmaturing agent and then with a powdered bleaching agent. Therefore,according to my invention, the treating gas for bleaching, maturing andimproving, in contra-distinction to being prepared in special equipmentand supplied as ages to the flour or the like, is generated within themilling product by the incorporation with the latter of reagents orcompounds which readily form a treating gas. Such reagents or compoundscan be prepared in powdered form and mixed with the product to betreated at any convenient point or stage in the milling operation. Theyreact under ordinary conditions, and hence without special treatment, toform the treating gas in situ and therefore in intimate association withthe milling product, thereby effectively bleaching, aging and otherwiseimproving the latter.

The reagents of my invention comprise a chlorine-liberating compound anda compound which yields or supplies the nitroso group or radical, thesecompounds in the presence of each other forming an effective treatinggas when mixed with the flour or other milling product to be treated.

The chlorine-liberating compound which I emthe milling product to form atreating gas, may be used.

The two reagents which together form the treating gas may be pre-mixedand added to the milling product as a mixture. A satisfactorycomposition for general use may be composed of seven irts of dryfree-flowing finely powdered 3,

calcium hypochlorite and three parts of a dry free-flowing finelypowdered nitrate. These percentages may be varied and by test theproportion best suited may be determined for the particular grade offiour to be treated.

Dry free-flowing finely powdered fillers or diluents, such as calciumphosphates, may be used with' the nitroso yielding compounds to increasethe bulk and to facilitate the ease of handling and feeding.

In practice, the nitroso-yielding powder and the chlorinated powder arefed either separately, but simultaneously, or mixed together as apreformed composition directly into the flour or the like and intimatelymixed therewith by means I within the flour. As stated, only smallamounts of the composition are necessary. For example, one-half ounce,or more if required, of a mixture consisting of seven parts calciumhypochlorite and three parts sodium nitrate will effectively bleach andotherwise improve 198 pounds 01. flour within twelve to twenty-fourhours.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have devised a convenient andefiicient method and composition for treating milling products andalthough I have described the same with particularity, the invention isnot to be construed as limited to the illustrative embodiments hereinset forth.

By the term dry; as applied in the appended claims to the millingproduct, it is meant that the milling product, although containing itsnormal or usual moisture content, has not been intentionally wetted bythe addition of water as .is done, for example, in the making of dough.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A process for improving fiour and like milling products, whichcomprises mixing with the dry milling product a dry free-flowing finelypowdered high chlorine-containing calcium hypochlorite and-a dryfree-flowing finely powdered nitroso yielding compound capable of and insuch proportions as to react within the milling product to form ableaching and maturing agent, and exposing the milling product in dryform to the action of saidagent for a period of time required to effectsubstantial bleaching and maturing of the milling product.

2. A process for improving fiour and like milling products whichcomprises thoroughly distributing there'through a dry free-flowingfinely powdered mixture of a major portion of a dry free-flowing finelypowdered calcium hypochlorite and a minor portion of a dry free-flowingfinely powdered nitroso yielding compound ca pable of and in sufiicientamount to react with the calcium hypochlorite in the presence of the drymilling product to form a bleaching and maturing agent, and exposingthe'milling product in dry form to the action of said agent for a timeperiod adequate to effect substantial bleaching and maturing of themilling product.

3. A process for improving flour and like milling products whichcomprises mixing .with the dry'milling product a dry free-flowing finelypowdered high chlorine-containing calcium hypochlorite and a dryfree-flowing finely powdered sodium nitrate in such proportions as toreact within the milling product to form a bleaching and maturing agent,and exposing the milling product in dry form to the action of said agentfor a period of time required to eifect substantial bleaching andmaturing of the milling product.

4. A process for improving flour and like milling products whichcomprises mixing with the dry milling product a dry free-flowing finelypowdered high chlorine-containing calcium hypochlorite and a dryfree-flowing finely powdered calcium nitrate in such proportions as toreact within the milling product to form a bleaching and maturing agent,and exposing the milling product in dry form to the action of said agentfor a period of time required to efiect substantial bleaching andmaturing of the milling product.

5. A process for improving flour and like milling products whichcomprises mixing with the dry milling product a dry free-flowing finelypowdered high chlorine-containing calcium hypochlorite and a dryfree-flowing finely powdered potassium nitrate in such proportions as toreact within the milling product to form a bleaching and maturing agent,and exposing the milling product in dry form to the action of said agentfor a period of time required to efiect substantial bleaching andmaturing of the milling product.

6. An intimate mixture comprising a dry milling product incorporatedwith a small percentage of a composition containing a major portion ofdry free-flowing finely powdered calcium'hypochlorite and a minorportion of a dry free-flowing finely powdered nitroso yielding compound.

7. A fiour improving composition comprising a major portion of dryfree-flowing finely powdered calcium hypochlorite and a minor portionoi! dry free-flowing finely powdered nitroso yielding compound.

8. A fiour improving composition comprising a dry, free-flowing, finelypowdered calcium hypochlorite containing approximately to availablechlorine and a dry, free-flowing, finely powdered nitroso yieldingcompound capable of and in such proportion as to react with saidhypochlorite in the presence of flour to form a flour bleaching andmaturing agent.

9. A composition of matter comprising an intimate mixture of a drymilling product with relatively small amounts of a dry, free-flowing,finely powdered calcium hypochlorite containing approximately 60 to 70%.available chlorine and a dry, free-flowing, finely powdered nitrosoyielding compound capable of and in such proportions as to react withsaid hypochlorite in the presence of the milling product to form ableaching and maturing agent.

10. A method for improving fiour and like milling products whichcomprises mixing -with the dry milling product a dry, free-flowing,finely powdered calcium hypochlorite containing approximately 60 to 70%available chlorine and a dry, free-flowing, powdered nitroso yieldingcompound capable of and in such amount as to react with saidhypochlorite in the presence of the dry milling product to form a flourbleaching and maturing agent, and exposing the milling product in dryform to the action of said agent for a time period adequate to effectsubstantial bleaching and maturing thereof.

FREDERICK H. PENN.

